


The Zichy Family

by BoredAndSleepy2000



Category: Crusader Kings 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24777001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoredAndSleepy2000/pseuds/BoredAndSleepy2000
Summary: Started a game in 1066, random cultures that somehow weren't really random, and shattered world.
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**From Count to King: Tale of King Zichy Bálint**

Count Zichy Bálint of House Zichy was one of the many rulers of the shattered Europe in 1066. The fall of the Roman Empire and many other empires led to world controlled but counts. There was a time of peace until this year when a Norman Count in Northern France started a conquest to unite the Norman people under one ruler which inspired Bálint to unite the Sardinian people who lived in Southern France, Northern Italy, the Sardinian Islands, and the Eastern coast of the Hispania.

Bálint was the count of Provence which only had a church, city, and the castle town, not very populated which led him to send his marshal out to train to recruit more. The following year his first-born son, Ambrus, was born and the count gave him to the marshal to learn to become a great military general if he were to fail. Ambrus was sickly and weak at birth but the blind court physician cured him of his illnesses by star gazing.

In the year of 1068 was the beginning of the conquest, Bálint declared war with Count Corvinus Frigyes of Venaissin for the county of Venaissin. Bálint defeated Frigyies’ 468 troops with his 1489 troops in the Battle of Orange then he took Orange from Frigyies declaring the end of the war. Bálint after the war sat and waited for his chance to take Forcalquier in 1071, but during that time his land only experienced two notable events. The first event of blood raining from the sky over Provence and the second event the uncommonly great number of children born in Venaissin.

Bálint found them both good signs from God but his eldest son is now being threated by measles, he chose to let his son be and went to make another heir that might be stronger. Bálint after his war 3-month war for Forcalquier spent 3 years investing in the trade port and creating the title of Duke of Provence. The new duke then offers the Lord Mayor Mózes of Genoa to be his vassal and the lord mayor accepted the offer. Little did both know, Genoa was soon going to be become the monopoly of the Mediterranean Sea because of this decision. The duke in the month after the annex of the Genoa, he created the Duchy of Genao and set his sights north.

In 1078 through his deeds and character, he came known as ‘The Sword of Christ’ and began his multiple wars with the counts north known as Conquest for Burgundy. The conquest lasted until the year of 1083 with the creation of the duchies of Savoy and Dauphine. December 31 of 1083, Duke Bálint was now crowned King of Burgundy and the Pope attended the ceremony to personal crown him. With his crowning, the counts of Upper Burgundy bended the need and accept him as their king with all of Burgundy united under a king.

A powerful Duke in the west known as Pid the Cruel also crowned himself king of Aquitaine. Pid was man who worshipped Lucifer which was something The Sword of Christ was not going to sit by and watch. Bálint declared War for Toulouse in 1095 to free the people from evil. The war was hard fought with the battles of Provence, Asti, and many others as Pid had many allies. Despite Pid’s allies, Bálint was financially stable and was not busy with revolts like his enemies. By 1100, Pid surrendered on the battlefield to Bálint and then died from stress the day after the treaty was signed.

When Pid died his kingdom split into three under his sons; King Pid II of Aquitaine, Duke Agrippa of Poitou, and Duke Vergilius of Gascogne. Bálint was delighted to see his enemy was now getting weaker until he received news that a Rus adventurer is coming to invade the kingdom. The adventurer’s name was not recorded because he died halfway on his journey to the kingdom which Bálint believed he was not worthy of recording. The king stopped conquering when his only son Ambrus was getting more popular than he was. Ambrus killed a bear of white fur on his adventure north to Iceland, he went to Sweden to have a feast with the Viking King to discuss a nonaggression pact and succeed. His skill with the sword, lance, and axe amazed people and he led the army during the war with Pid the Cruel to add more popularity.

Bálint and Ambrus never had a good relationship, Ambrus never forgot when his father chose to let him struggle to fight measles. A note from the doctor who care for the young man when he was small said, “Usually children like the young prince would die, but I theorize that the only reason he survived his illnesses was he was too angry with his father. He probably lives just to spite him…”

Every time the two were in the room together, they fought over specific details as how they should invade Aquitaine, what to do about the growing number of Sunni Sardinians in Aragon, and how to approach the newly formed Kingdom of Normandy. The argument put a big load of stress on Bálint and he looked to see it was getting close to his time. He remembers at the age of 19 becoming a count, how young he was and how his father must be proud. Then one night on October 3 in 1107, he called for his son to hopefully make it right between him and his son. The king had many seven daughters but one son, this was his more than his heir. Ambrus is the future of his life’s work, he was destined to unite the Sardinian people, and Ambrus has a son who is the Duke of Swabia, Baden, and Alsace which he is crowned Grand Duke of Swabia. The newly Grand Duchy of Swabia is home of some Germans which it would be nice to add the grand duchy to the Kingdom.

Ambrus sat in the chair next to his father in front of the fireplace, “Why did you call for me, your grace?”

Bálint spoke with his old voice, “I want to make things right between us… I’m sorry.”

Ambrus raised an eyebrow, “What?”

Bálint looked to the corner to see a man in a black robe looking at him with his black eyes, it was the grim reaper. The old king knew him many times on the battlefields and for the past nights, the reaper was waiting for him to finish business before taking him to his afterlife. Bálint continued, “I wish that I would have been a better father to you. My time has come, my son, you are the future. Despite your hatred towards me… will you continue to make my dream come true?”

Ambrus looked to the fireplace as the flames danced, “I will unite our people and restore the Catholic faith.”

Bálint chuckled, “Be careful with the church… it’s a place of snakes and greed. But we must obey them until the time is right.”

Ambrus then smiled, “I’m glad that I’m not the only one who sees it.”

The two laughed a bit then Ambrus hugged him, “I forgive you… father.”

Bálint teared up a bit, “It’s been too long since I hear you call me that. After 41 years…”

Ambrus patted his shoulder, “You are 60 years of age, you should rest.”

When Ambrus left, the reaper appeared next to the old king, “Are you ready, your grace?”

Bálint nodded, “Where are we heading to?”

The reaper chuckled, “A place suited for ‘The Sword of Christ’. But how about a game of chess first?”

On that night, the old king died from serve stress and his son Zichy Ambrus succeeded the throne with a grand ceremony and the pope personally crowned him.


	2. The King of Three Kingdoms: King Zichy Ambrus

Zichy Ambrus was now crowned king at the age of 40, it was a glorious day for the new king as everyone celebrated. Ambrus on his first day as king is to finish what his father started by invading Poitou and Gascogne. Ambrus had a solid plan to invade the two before King Pid II of Aquitaine. This Pid was not like his father, Pid II was beloved by his people and they were willing to fight for him. Ambrus knows from experience to a king with love from his people would be harder to defeat.

Ambrus defeated Duke Agrippa of Poitou in one day by capturing him on the battlefield. With duke’s surrender and swore allegiance to Ambrus, they can fight Duke Vergilius with the Kingdom’s full power. Vergilius spent money on mercenaries to defeat Ambrus at the battle of Angoulême, the man himself led this army. When the two armies met each other, Vergilius spoke, “It’s over King Ambrus, I have more men than you do.”

“No, I have the high ground and the forest protection, it’s over for you.” Ambrus replied in pride. Vergilius and his army charged towards to the hills and forest while being mowed down by arrows. Ambrus had the defense and he was going to use it well and called his men to get their swords, shields, and pikes ready. The battle was bloody to where the grass and trees were red as blood for 10 years, in the end Ambrus killed Vergilius. Vergilius left a daughter behind who surrendered and bended the knee to the King.

With the two duchies under his control in the span of three years, he usurped the King of Aquitaine from Pid II. The now Duke Pid II was furious but before he could declare war on Ambrus, Ambrus and his son made an alliance to help fully defeat him. Zichy Lajos was the Grand Duke of Swabia and helped his father conquer Pid II in six months. King Ambrus with his son drew up plans on Ambrus’ next invasion. From the years 1114 to 1126 would be known as Conquest for Italy where the King Ambrus and his son fought multiple dukes and counts to unite the kingdom of Italy under Zichy rule.

Ambrus was known for his wars but he was also known for founding the Zichy Bloodline (can be passed through fraternal and maternal marriages, gives the members a +5 martial bonus, and makes them resilient to battle) as well as investing in trade posts. Ambrus saw the roads of Italy and would bring the idea of investing in the road system. His daughter, Zichy Erzsébet, was married to Prince Bram of the Kingdom of Normandy which brought 50 years of peace between the two kingdoms as Normandy was at war with the kingdom of Brittany as well as the Duke of Wessex and English allies.

In the year of 1120, the king ordered for the creation of a weapon that would strike fear into his enemies and would last forever. The marshal Duke Zichy Ábel, Ambrus’ second eldest son, brought in a blacksmith know as Butavas to create a sword. Three months into making a sword worthy of the king, a star fell from the sky which the blacksmith took and used the star to form the legendary sword known as ‘Dragonseeker’. The sword will later under Lajos’ reign have armor to go with the fine sword. The sword will do as it was promised, strike fear in the enemies of the Zichy family and it was recorded to still be used in 1453.

In 1126, the final duke surrendered and Ambrus announced himself King of Italy which all the Sardinians in the Italian Peninsula accepted him as king but not all pieces of the kingdom of Italy were ruled by Sardinians. The Duchy of Verona and the Republic of Venice were ruled by Venetians, Venice was Genoa’s main rival. Venice controlled the eastern sea and Genoa controlled the western sea and would declare war on each other to take ports. Because of Genoa’s influence, Ambrus and his many descendants would embargo Venice until the republic would be absorbed by Genoa in the next 100 years. The fall of Venice is not only the fall of a great republic but also the lost of the Venetian culture.

After Ambrus crowned himself king of Italy, he was known as the King of Three Kingdoms. On August 8, 1126, the Prince Bram then became King Bram of Normandy and asked Ambrus to join his war defending from King William ‘the Hammer’ of Scotland and England. King William invaded Normandy because he had a claim on the kingdom because his father was Bram’s uncle. The Scottish King had control over Upper Brittany and pushed Bram out of Brittany in the first month.

Ambrus brought in his army of 10,597 men to face William’s 11,987 men in the Battle of Paris. The two personally dueled each other, Ambrus wrote, ‘William was very skilled with his sword and we were evenly matched. But he is much younger than me, so he has much to learn.’

William view of the king, ‘When I saw King Ambrus, he was everything that a King should be. Wise, well-aged, and appearing on the front lines to face his enemies. Our duel was hard fought as it was my strength and skill against his skill and wisdom. I have learned a lot from our duel…’

William then surrendered after the duel, but he states that he surrenders to King Ambrus and not Bram. Bram did not show up to the battle or fought in the war, William never met Bram in his life. This impression made William and Normandy view King Bram as ‘the Unworthy’. William and Ambrus began to have a friendship as William married Ambrus’ other daughter, Zichy Aaliz. William then return to the Isles to conquer Ireland to make up for the humiliating defeat to Normandy. Despite how William and Bram got their nicknames, Ambrus never receives a nickname. Even after he created the Empire of Burgundy on December 31, 1126, he wasn’t given a nickname.

On January 1, 1127, the now Emperor Ambrus died from dueling with his best friend, Léon Durante. Just like his father, he died at age 60 and he was an emperor for less than a day. Despite his many accomplishments, he wouldn’t be remembered as a conqueror, as an emperor, a defender of Normandy, or even a legendary duelist. As he stood next to the grim reaper greeting him like an old friend. Ambrus remembers first meeting him when he was a baby and cheated him multiple time then welcomed him in open arms. The reaper smiled and hugged him back, “Hello old friend, you lived a wonderful life.”

Ambrus asked, “What will I be remembered for?”

The reaper chuckled as he walked him to heaven, “For being a good king and the founder of an empire that you will never rule. But you will also be remembered for founding the greatest empire since Rome.”

Ambrus asked, “Will it fall?”

The reaper will a calm voice, “All things breaks… it’s about when. Only time can tell, but your empire will grow.”

Ambrus smiled, “Lajos will have to finish the job.”

The reaper took him to the gates of Heaven, “That he will…”

The Grand Duke was now crowned Emperor of Burgundy, Emperor Zichy Lajos ‘the Blushing’ was asked by Pope Edward to begin the first crusade on the Sultan of Aragon where the Sunni Sardinian dukes have united under a Sultan Saadids Droyn of Aragon.


	3. Emperor Zichy Lajos: The Blushing or The Grinner?

Emperor Zichy Lajos was born in the year of 1105 A.D. and was remembered for many things in his lifetime. Before becoming the emperor and grand duke, he was married to Genefe Ludwig, the daughter of Duke Ludolf Ludwig of Baden and Alsace in 1106. A year later, Duke Ludolf died and his daughter inherited her father’s crown which she was 3 years of age. As the two grew up, they were very fond of each other. They played together, learned together, and even ruled together when they got older.

In 1107, when the Grand Duchy of Swabia was formed, they were reportedly found kissing each other at the throne room. Lajos blushed so red that was when he got the name ‘the Blushing’ and Genefe giggled at him. Lajos at a young age was proven to be large and strong military genius while Genefe proven herself as an attractive shrewd diplomat. In the years of 1114 to 1126 were the years the two had some disagreements over the war. Grand Duchess Genefe didn’t like the fact she was sending her men into long war that they don’t get much out of it expect prestige. Lajos begged her to continue and wait because it would all be worth it in the end.

In 1121, Lajos married her and proven to her as he led her men into battle bravely and destroyed enemy armies in a quick manner. In 1122, two major revolts appeared in the realm, the first was the counts wanted more council power. Lajos led the loyal 2,500 soldiers to defeat the 5,000 enemies and capturing the leader while the second revolt was a peasant revolt that Ambrus help destroyed. When the conquest was over, Lajos was known by men as ‘the Grinner’ because how he smiled when leading the army into combat but to the women, he was still ‘the Blushing’.

Genefe gave birth to his son, Zichy Ludolf, but tragedy struck when both of them died. With the death of Genefe Ludwig and Zichy Ludolf, Zichy Lajos inherited the Grand Duchy of Sawbia. This day would be remembered when Lajos ‘the Grinner’ began to take out his rage in duels and small wars. Then his father died the month after his wife and child which brought him to a time before his madness. After being crown emperor, Pope Edward declared a crusade on the sultan of Aragon which Lajos didn’t not hold back.

He gathered his troops and hired mercenaries to march down to Aragon burning down mosques and looting cities until there was nothing left. He then captured the castle where Sultan Saadids Droyn of Aragon was at with his family. As he put the sultan and his family in his prison, he executed Droyn and then annexed the new kingdom of Aragon. The son of the sultan was tortured into becoming Catholic became the King of Aragon. King Saadids Adirá would write, ‘Every time a priest talks about hell, I think of Emperor Zichy Lajos as he kept me and my family in his prison. As he murdered my father then took my sister as his bride and beheaded my mother in front of my eyes. Then tortured me into becoming Catholic… then crowning me as king of my people but ordered to punish them until they become Catholic. I hope there is a spot in hell where that stupid grin will suffer God’s wrath.’

The emperor loved the crusade so much that he went to a holy war for the Kingdom of Léon then the Pope excommunicated him for his vicious crimes and rumors in 1135. Lajos’ response was invading the Papal States and making Pope Edward his vassal. The following year Pope Edward was removed by a mysterious death and replaced with Lajos’ antipope Lando ‘the Cruel’ who removed Lajos’ excommunication. Lajos would concisely send inquisitions to Aragon and Léon to spread Catholicism until his death.

In the year of 1140, the empire now had a rival empire to deal with called the Holy Roman Empire. King William’s son, David, created the empire after uniting the kingdoms of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales. Emperors David and Lajos locked each other in a stalemate over the King of Normandy. The two knew that King Bram ‘the Unworthy’ was struggling to keep things together in his kingdom which the two were ready to eat Normandy up. King Bram had 10 sons who were ready to just kill each other to become king.

The two emperors played each son like a game of chess which had led to the complete destruction of the kingdom. But while this was happening Lajos completed his father’s sword with a set of armor made from a star that crashed on the castle’s gates. The Dragonseeker was now completed with The Heavenly Armor which continued to be used with the sword, even recorded to be still in use in 1453. Lajos in 1153 led an invasion into the Swiss Mountains and conquered the Germans there. Lajos would like to think of himself as part German because of his true love, Genefe, how he still mourned her and his first-born son. His second-born son, Ambrus II, feared his father like many other people. He written in his journal, ‘My father is the scariest person in existence. His grin, empty eyes, and quick to violates makes me think that he could kill me if I show signs that I’m not good enough to be an heir. I must work hard to become the perfect heir and emperor to avoid death…’

Lajos to many women as ‘the Blushing’ because how he blushed when looking at girls with blue eyes and blonde hair. He has openly admitted that most Sardinian women were unattractive to him because of their dark hair and brown eyes while Northern Sardinian, Norman, and German women were very attractive. Lajos was known as the first emperor, the blushing emperor, the grinner, and the emperor with 50 lovers. He also openly admitted that his wife, Adirá’s sister, was ugly and their marriage was to keep Adirá in line and produce an offspring. Lajos had 50 lovers that produced 65 bastard children which he loved them all and he legalized all of them. He wasn’t worried about succession because he changed the laws to where the eldest son got all the territory.

Lajos to his children, exception of Ambrus, saw him as a caring father who worried for them. In 1157, Zichy University began construction under the order of the emperor who had a great deal of fondness towards education. 1160 Lajos’s son, Zichy Wilhelm ‘the German’, reached the age of 18 and left the realm with 8,984 men to conquer some land. Lajos give the young man an axe known as ‘Heaven’s Devastator’ before he left. Wilhelm would then become the Duke of Crimea and would lead the way into creating the German kingdom of Crimea.

In 1160, Lajos would declare war on the King Appius of Greece to free the Catholics in the kingdom of Sicily. The war lasted 10 years which Lajos would die 4 years into the war by combat. In 1164, Emperor Zichy Lajos ‘the Grinner’ died in combat by a lucky enemy pike man who stabbed him in the head. Lajos would be known as the first emperor to the empire, a monster to Aragon, the man who made the Pope a vassal, and many other things. His son, Ambrus II, would say that his father ruled the empire with fear but despite having an unpleasant relationship with his father, he admired his father.

Lajos’ construction of Zichy University and the lesser known Grand Church of Venaissin helped increase education to nobles and strengthen the church. The university would later be opened to many people across Europe, while the church would nearly burn down 20 times between its creation in 1162 to 1453. The many bastard children of Lajos where either skilled commanders, stewards, spies, diplomats, or were bishops of the church. Ambrus II would use them to his advantage to keep the Holy Roman Empire and many Catholics in check.

Lajos’ looked out on the field of the battlefield he died at, seeing his army won the battle even though it costed his own life. The reaper asks, “Are you satisfied?”

Lajos grinning, “Sicily will be a part of the empire, the Sicilians are the cousins of Sardinians. They would accept my family as their rulers.”

The reaper looking down at the field with him, “You have brought many souls to the afterlife you know.”

Lajos asks, “Will I see my beloved wife and firstborn?”

The man in the dark robes turned, “Follow me and see for yourself.”

Lajos then turned to follow him to the afterlife to then leave his son to do as he pleases with the empire. Now Emperor Zichy Ambrus II ‘the Sword of Christ’ at age 25 will finish the war with the Greeks and deal with the HRE.


	4. Emperor Zichy Ambrus II: Ambrus Reincarnated

Emperor Zichy Ambrus II was known by the eldest nobles and men as King Ambrus reincarnation. He was a military genius, invested in roads, known for his kindness, and wanted to bring growth to the empire. Ambrus defeated the Greek army in Rome, Naples, and pushed them back Albania. As he pushed them out, the Turkish Horde came from the east to drive the Greeks out of Anatolian Peninsula. King Nikolaos of Greece was getting crushed on both sides which Ambrus decided to make a nonaggression pact with the Turkish conqueror Adem ‘the Conqueror’. Adem accepted the pact leading Nikolaos to surrender to both of them 5 years after Lajos’ death, Ambrus gaining Sicily and Adem gaining all of the Anatolian Peninsula.

King Nikolaos was glad to keep all of Greece and Constantinople but now he was weak and could fall to the rising Serbian Empire to the north. Ambrus had one of his daughters married to Nikolaos to form an alliance to prevent Serbia from expanding south and west as well as keeping the Turks in the east. The Serbian Empire had plans to invade south but they were foiled but the new kingdom of Poland to their north that wanted Lesser Poland from the empire. Odin took a trip to the new kingdom and wrote to his father about the Winged Hussars. He wrote, ‘During my trip to Poland, the newly converted people are strong but not as strong as the Winged Hussars. The Hussars carry a 6-meter-long lance and were heavily armored. I would like to have an army like this for the empire.’

The truth was that the empire doesn’t have a professional army since its creation, they relied on the levy of peasants and Odin believed the empire needed a professionally trained army. Ambrus had a much bigger problem in Normandy, Bram ‘the Unworthy’ was now dead and his kingdom fell apart. Ambrus’ ally King Bram II ‘the Great’ of Normandy and the Holy Roman Emperor Bruce’s ally King Aitet of Brittany and Frisia. Bram and Aitet went to war to unite the Norman people in 1170 which brought Burgundy and the HRE into the war. In the beginning Bram was losing in the Brittany front when the HRE landed backing up Aitet but absolutely crushed the forces in Frisia. Ambrus got his forces from his empire and marched north to group up with Bram in Paris.

Ambrus would write about how Bram ‘the Great’ was a much better ruler than his father Bram ‘the Unworthy’. Bram ‘the Great’ was skilled with the lance and single handedly kill 50 men by himself, but some historians might believe this information as a myth. The two grand armies meet in Orleans, this battle is known to be the first battle where over 10,000 deaths from each side was reported. The battle for Orleans was a victory for Bram and Ambrus as they pushed Aitet and Bruce back to Brittany. Six months after the Battle of Orleans, Aitet surrendered and handed the kingdom of Frisia to his brother. Bram was not happy about the treaty where he wanted all of the territory back but Ambrus and Bruce were not happy about this war continuing any further.

The war was very costly to the HRE and Burgundy as well as more HRE and Burgundian men died than Normans. The two empires may have had a secret agreement to make a painless treaty for both empires. They would never pull out of the war because they both invested a lot into the two brothers. King Aitet wanted to get back Normandy but instead lost Frisia, this war led to Aitet being overthrown and killed five years later. The death of Aitet allowed Bram to regain Brittany and create the Empire of Normandy. The new empire invaded the Saxons and they conquered the kingdom after five years since its creation, which Burgundy finished invading the Hispania during that time. Ambrus sent many priests to convert the Iberians peacefully, Ambrus II ‘the Sword of Christ’ was not like his father, Zichy Lajos, who brutally converted people. Ambrus II was peaceful about the conversion and believe his title as ‘the Sword of Christ’ was too brutal for his standards.

With Hispania under Catholic control, Pope Aaron ‘the Grey’ called for a crusade to take Jerusalem from the Muslims in 1180. The three empires saw this war as a chance to gain glory, prestige, and wealth from conquering the holy land. The HRE and Burgundy both agreed that Normandy should not get the Jerusalem and sailed to their troops to race to the holy land. Since Burgundy was closer, they did a lot more than the other two. Ambrus took the holy city in just four months, the HRE took Acres in 5 months thanks to a quick battle with the Muslim forces, and it took 6 months for Bram to arrive to the crusade. In 1182, the crusade was over and Ambrus had Jerusalem all to himself. The new addition to the empire was now given to his second eldest son, Zichy Alberto, who was a skilled steward and made plans to make the new addition of the empire profitable as possible. Ambrus had three wives in his lifetime, the first being Arnora from the Catholic King of Norway who gave birth to Odin, an Italian countess named Blondiau who gave birth to Alberto, then his final wife Fen.

Zichy Fen came from the far east to run away from the Chinese Empire, she never revealed her crimes. Ambrus II thought that she was beautiful and her skills in medicine which would be a great addition to the Zichy University. Fen thought Ambrus to be a wise and strong man who she happily married. Fen wrote books on medicine, cooking, and pieces on China which interested Odin. Fen was only 20 years old when she married the 45-year-old emperor, but the family wrote how the next two years were the happiest, most peaceful, but final years of Ambrus.

Ambrus started suffering from a mysterious disease that he later died from before the doctors could even identify the disease. Ambrus wrote down how his life was content, and his only mistake was that he wasn’t going to raise Fen’s child. Odin and Alberto both spoke greatly of their father, as they both loved him. Ambrus was the father he always wanted; Lajos never loved him because he was from an ugly woman. Lajos loved his bastard children more than him, which Ambrus promised to be better than him.

Ambrus looking out the window of his castle from the room he died in seeing his eldest son crowned emperor celebrating with the people. Ambrus chuckled, “Coming to pick me up?”

The reaper next to him replied, “Yes I have…”

Ambrus turned to him, “Was I a good ruler?”

The reaper smiled, “You are the greatest for now.”

Ambrus smiled, “Good… I don’t want to be the best to ever live.”

As Ambrus walked next to the reaper, Emperor Zichy Odin began producing a professionally trained army and make the Polish-Burgundian Alliance.


	5. The Short Reigns of Zichy Odin and Zichy Luca

Odin was at the age of 17 when crowned as Emperor of Burgundy, he married Princess Anna of Poland to seal the alliance with Poland to surround Serbian Empire. His sister, Zichy Luca, was now in control of the Kingdom of Greece who also converted her culture to Greek and religion to Orthodox. The alliance of Burgundy, Poland, and Greece surrounded the empire of Serbs, Croats, Hungarians, Bosnians, and Romanians. This was the beginning of what is referred as the Eastern Wars. The Serbian Emperor known as Vladimir ‘the Evil’ launched an attack on Constantinople beginning the First Eastern War. Queen Luca gathered an army from all of Greece and call Odin and King Adam of Poland to assistance.

Odin sail his new professionally trained army of 25,000 men to Athens to meet his sister while Adam marched south to capture the capital. Luca had an army of 16,000 in levies which the combined forces marched to defeat the Serbian force surrounding Constantinople. The Battle of Constantinople was a glorious victory as Luca showed her strength, fighting skills, and bravery to her people gaining the title ‘the Defender of Greece’ while Odin gained the title ‘the Grinner’. King Adam took the capital but Emperor Vladimir wasn’t there or at the battle. As fate will come when the Polish army meet the combined army of Greeks and Burundians, they meet the evil emperor and his empire’s full might. The Battle of Pest was said that Vladimir had 65,000 or more men while the combined three had 55,000. Odin called for his levies to come, but he didn’t know when they would arrive to assist. Odin prayed for 7 days for at least group of levies would arrive while Vladimir attacked the combined army.

The two forces fought for 7 days until Odin fell off his horse and was about to enter his state of coma but before he did, 20,000 men from King Alberto of Sicily arrived charging from the hills destroying Vladimir’s force. The last words from Odin before the comatose was ‘I hope they remember the day when the Sicilians arrived.’

The Battle of Pest was won thanks to the King Alberto of Sicily, who was a loyal vassal of Odin, and led to the surrender of Vladimir ‘the Evil’. For the next 5 years, Odin would stay in a coma until his death in 1193. Zichy Odin ‘the Grinner’ will only be remembered for defeating the Empire of Serbia and his grin from the battles were not of insanity as his grandfather Lajos, but of joy of the battlefield. Luca cried at his funeral but his niece, Zichy Klára the daughter of Luca, threw a party to honor her uncle. Klára stayed Sardinian and Catholic while not a student of war, she was a student of money which her mother never believed she would gain the throne.

Odin opened his eyes and got up but as he was about to grab the door, a voice spoke, “Sorry to tell you this.”

Odin turned to see his body was still on the bed then he turned to the voice’s origin. The man in a dark coat and carrying a scythe replied, “You must be sad that you spent the last five years of the rest of your life in your bed in a coma.”

Odin smiled as he looks out the window seeing Luca crowned, “Well… at least it was worth it.”

The man asked, “Why?”

Odin replied, “If I haven’t protected my sister then there would be no next in line… imagine no future for Burgundy.”

The man chuckled, “They will write song of that Sicilian charge.”

Odin and the man walked out to the afterlife while talking of what happened during the last five years he wasn’t there for.

Luca the first female ruler in charge of the empire renewed the alliance with Poland and set her sights to focus on invading Norman dukes. The Empire of Normandy fell after Bram ‘the Great’ died with no heir, led to the empire being nothing but dukes who want the title of Emperor. The dukes also formed a coalition against the HRE and Burgundy, Emperor Edward of the HRE didn’t take the coalition seriously and invaded the Duke of Upper Brittany. The coalition instantly pushed the HRE out of Brittany faster than they got to the beaches. The HRE was then invaded by the coalition by the first two months of the war. In three months, the HRE surrendered to the coalition which stunned the new empress and the Saxon King Wilhelm of Saxon. After the war, the members started fighting each other for the unification of Normandy but that idea would never happen.

Luca would pass many reforms like taxing the merchant republics more but taking less levies while taxing the churches less but taking more levies in times of war. Luca tried to strength the Orthodox religion but shown no success. Her crisis was the five kingdoms of the Hispania peninsula were all succeed by one man, King Saadids Antonio of Léon. She got him to agree change the succession law to gavelkind, but she would never get involved in his invasion into Africa which she agreed.

Her cousin, King Zichy Droyn of Egypt, was busy defending of the new king of Jerusalem that Luca put in charge. Droyn would invade Africa to make sure Antonio take all of Africa if another vassal of the empire would stop attacking him. This led to the ban of internal wars in the empire, a lot of vassals hated this, but Antonio didn’t care and Droyn was happy about it. Luca watched as Antonio and Droyn invaded Africa to expand the empire. With the crisis finally over, her reign to January 1, 1201 was easy. She had no rebellions under her rule the council was content, and no wars.

The only problem was Klára was next in line, Luca had no son and her other daughters have been murdered over the years. Luca suspected in to be her doing but Klára denies it and to this day historians can’t confirm if Klára was the murderer of her 12 sisters. Klára had many plans for the empire that Luca didn’t like. The ideas ranged from an invasion of Croatia to taking Anatolia from the Turks. Klára’s vision of the empire was to the east while Luca wanted to take care of the north with the Normans. Luca and Klára didn’t speak to each other on 1198 to Luca’s death because of an argument. The argument remains a mystery as Luca said, “Stupid girl, she will cause the collapse of this empire with her thinking.”

While Klára said, “Arrogance, her mind is in the past and I must protect the empire and insure it’s future.”

Many theories came up in the court like Klára asking her mother about a trip to the newly formed Russian Empire or taking over Cyprus. Luca died from Gout which the new crowned Empress Zichy Klára sent buried her body at Constantinople. Klára explained her book, ‘…despite my hatred for her stubbornness, she loved Constantinople. The city almost became the capital if it weren’t for her vision of conquering Normandy. I wanted to give her that to show that I still loved her…’

Luca watched as her daughter buried her body in the city, she loved the most. She teared up, “I’m sorry… for not fixing our relationship.”

The reaper next to her, “You can trust her, she will lead the empire to greatness.”

Luca asked, “Why did I hate her, she was the only one who stayed with me?”

The reaper shrugged, “I don’t know, humans have different ways of aging. Some age and gain a stronger bond with their children and some don’t. She didn’t kill her sisters and she forgave you.”

Luca nodded and followed him to heaven to reunite with her family who were excited to see her.


End file.
